Bottle or jar sealing device.



PATENTED 001*. 20,1903;

E. 1). SOH-MITT. BOTTLE 0R JAR SEALING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

110 741344. Patented October 20, ieoe.

NITED STATES PATENT rrrcE.

EDWARD D. SOHMITT, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO UNIVERSAL SEAL &' STOPPER COMPANY, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

BOTTLE OR JAR SEALING osvloraa SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,844, dated er 20, 1903.

Application filed September 17, 1902. Serial No. 128,769. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: or jar neck above the point where the seal is Be it known that I, EDWARD D. SGHMITT, made. It is also important that the form of a citizen of the United States, residing in the the expanding and locking device be such city of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, that the bottles or jars may be readily and have invented certain new and useful Imconveniently packed for storage or shipment provements in Bottle or Jar Sealing Devices; and also present a bottle-head that will be and I do declare the following to be a full, adapted to receive a covering oftin or other clear, and exact description of the invention, foil, which when applied will present a neat such as will enable others. skilled in the art appearance. With these considerations in no to which it appertains to make and use the view I have produced a seal that will fulfil same, reference being had to the accompanythe desires just mentioned, as well as one ing drawings, and to the figures of reference that will present a flat metal surface for the marked thereon, which form a part of this reception of advertisements or other matter specification. usually placed upon closures or vessels of this 15 This invention relates to improvements in character, all as fully set forth in the followbottle or jar sealing devices. ing specification.

The invention has for its object, primarily, As the device is shown only in connection to provide a durable cheap seal that can be with the bottle, Iwill for the sake ofelearness readily applied to the bottle either by hand or and avoidance of unnecessary surplusage 2o mechanical means and one which can be rerefer to it hereinafter as so applied, although moved without the aid of a special tool and obviously a mere changein proportion would a seal which can be reapplied to keep'the adapt it for use in sealing jars'or other recepunused contents of the bottle fresh. tacles having large mouths.

Afurther object of the invention is to eifect I prefer to use a bottle having an internal 2 5 a seal in a part of the bottle where the same neck formation shown in my Patents Nos. is protected from injury and one in which 685,225 and 685,227, of October 22, 1901, and the bottle or jar adapted for use will not be my reissue Patents Nos. 12,082 and 12,033, liable to such injury in shipment or handling dated September 16, l902-that is to say, a as will make it impossible to reuse the same. bottle formed with a sealing-seat in its neck 30 A still further object is to so form'the 1ockand a shoulder or other contact-surface above 8o ing device that it will prevent the entrance the seat, with the exception, however, in the of dust or other objectionable matter into the present instance of a shoulder around the bottle or jar neck immediately above the outer edge of the bottle, the purpose of which point where the seal is "effected and at the will presently become apparent.

5 same time present a flat surface which will In the drawings, Figure 1 is a section of a permit the bottles or jars to be easily packed bottle, showing the seal in place therein just for storage or shipment. before the locking operation takes place.

I have heretofore invented and patented Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the seal in sealing devices especially adapted for sealing place and locked. Fig. 3 is a perspective 40 bottles containing highly charged liquids view of the securing member with the exand which embody the same general idea as panding and locking member omitted. Fig. that embodied in the device about to be de-' 4 is a similar view of the expanding and scribed. The present invention, however, locking member, showing the under side differs in several features, the leading one bethereof. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a blank 5 ing the construction of the expanding and adapted to be bent to form a securing memlockingdevice,andconsistsmainlyinsoformber. Fig. 6 is a series of views showing a ing the same that it will perform the funcmanner in which the expanding and locking tions of looking or unlocking the seal and at member or cap may be developed or formed, the same time prevent the entrance of dust and Fig. 7 is amodification showing the seal .50 or other objectionable matter into the bottle locked in place with the top of the expand- 10c ing and locking member flush with the upper edge of the bottle.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a bottle formed with a chamber 2 in the inside of the neck thereof, in which parts of the seal expand, a shoulder or contacbsurface 3, and a second shoulder or sealing-seat 4: below the first-mentioned shoulder.

The numeral 5 designates what I term the securing member, which is preferably formed of a single piece of spring metal, with a circular bearing portion 6, to which is attached a sealing member 6' and has arms 7, having engaging shoulders 8, adapted to engage the upper inclined shoulder 3 in the bottle-neck, and curved terminals 9, provided with slightly-elongated openings 10, which register with each other and are adapted to receive the lower end of a short depending arm 11 of the expanding and locking cap ormember 12. This arm is provided with a cross-head 13, which is capable of passing through the openings 10 in the terminals of the securing member, and the final position of said cross-head is transverse to the direction of the length of the openings, so that the cap and securing member are locked together in such a way that when the cap is removed the securing member will also be removed. The cap is preferably formed with a short depending flange 14, which rests upon.

the annular shoulder 15 on the outside of the bottle-neck. This flange prevents the looking member from sliding laterally or being accidentally knocked to one side or the other and is for this reason preferably used, although a plain disk may be used either setinto the top of the bottle, as shown in the modification, Fig. 7, or resting upon the upper edge of the bottle-neck. The openings 10 in the terminals in the securing member are sufficiently elongated to permit of the slight lateral movement which takes place in the locking and unlocking operation of the seal when said arms are caused to slide upon each other to a certain degree, depending upon the degree of lateral extension or contraction of said terminals. The sealing member may be secured to the securing member by means of cement or in any other suitable way, and said member is preferably of cork, although any material suitable for making close sealingcontact with the lower shoulder may be employed.

The locking and unlocking of the seal is accomplished by depressing or raising the terminals of the securing member, which obviously will either expand or separate the arm 7 or move the same toward each other, as the case may be, the action upon said terminals by the locking and unlocking member being a toggle action with the upper shoulder of the bottle-neck or the side wall of the chamber in said neck being the abutment to limit the lateral movement of the shoulders 8 of the securing member. WVhen the terminals are depressed by applying pressure to the locking member, the engaging shoulders 8 are thrown outward against the inclined shoulder 3 of the bottle neck, which will cause a wedging tendency, resulting in a downward movement of the securing member and consequent compression of the sealing member, thus producing a perfect seal. When the terminals of the securing member reach or pass the line of their greatest lateral resistance, a seal will be made; butit is preferable, of course, to so construct the parts that the seal will be effected just after said terminals have passed such lines, as this will prevent the seal from being too easily removedsay, for instance, by the accidental movement of the expanding andlocking member or cap. The arms of the securing member in entering the mouth of the bottle will be moved toward each other, but will expand into the chamber 2 when the engaging shoulders of the securing member are sufiiciently in the chamber to permit them to eX- pand against the shoulder in the bottle-neck, and a further downward movement of the seal will bring the cap or looking member into final position upon the bottle-neck and the sealing member into close sealing-contact with the lower shoulder or sealing-seat, thus producing a perfect seal.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7 the construction of the seal only differs in the particulars that the flange 14 is omitted and the top plate of the locking member is set in the top of the bottle. This of course necessitates a slight variation in the form of the bottle, and an annular seat 16 is provided to receive the plate. The numeral 17 represents small openings made in the plate of the locking member, into which the point of an instrument may be inserted to remove the seal.

To unlock the seal, it is only necessary to apply sufficient force to the locking member with a tendency to lift the same. This action will cause the terminals to resume the position shown in Fig. 1, when obviously the seal will be readily removable.

I claim 1. In a bottle or jar seal, the combination with a bottle or jar having in the neck thereof a shoulder or contact-surface, and a sealingseat below said shoulder or surface, of a sealing member, a securing member adapted to bear upon the sealing member, said securing member having engaging arms bent to form terminals, and a locking device having connection with the terminals and adapted to act thereon to force the engaging arms of the securing member into engagement with the upper shoulder in the locking operation, substantially as described.

2. In a bottle or jar seal, the combination with a bottle or jar having in the neck thereof a shoulder or contact-surface, and a sealingseat below said shoulder or surface, of a sealing member, a securing member adapted to bear upon the sealing member, said securing member having engaging arms bent to form terminals, and a locking device having connection With the terminals and adapted to act thereon to force the engaging arms of the securing member into engagement with the upper shoulder and retract the same therefrom in the unlocking operation, substantially as described.

3. In a bottle or jar seal, the combination With a bottle or jar having in the neck thereof a shoulder or contact-surface, and a sealingseat below said shoulder or surface, of a sealing member, a securing member adapted to bear upon the sealing member, said securing member having engaging arms bent to form terminals, and a locking device having connection with the terminals and adapted to have a toggle action thereon, whereby the engaging arms are forced into locking engage ment with the upper shoulder, substantially as described.

4. In a bottle or jar seal, the combination with a bottle or jar having in the neck thereof a shoulder or contact-surface, and a sealingseat below said shoulder or surface, of a sealing member, a securing member adapted to bear upon the sealing member, said securing member being bent to form engaging arms having shoulders thereon and terminals, and a locking device having connection with the terminals and adapted to have a toggle action thereon, whereby the engaging shoulders of the securing member are forced into engagement with the upper shoulder in looking operation, and retracted therefrom in the unsealing operation, substantially as described.

5. In a bottle or jar seal, the combination with a bottle or jar having a shoulder or contact-surface in the neck thereof, and asealingseat below said shoulder, of a sealing memher, a securing member adapted to bear upon the sealing member, said securing member being bent to form engaging arms having terminals, and a locking device having connection with said terminals, and adapted to have a toggle action thereon for the purpose set forth, said locking device being also formed with a portion adapted to cover the top of the receptacle, substantially as described.

6. In a bottle or jar seal, the combination with a bottle or jar having a shoulder or contact-surface in the neck thereof, and a sealingseat below said shoulder, of a sealing member, a spring-metal securing member adapted to bear upon the sealing member,said securing member being bent to form engaging arms having terminals, and a locking device adapted to have a toggle action upon the terminals, to lock and unlock the seal, substantially as described.

7'. In a bottle or jar seal, the combination with a bottle or jar having a shoulder or contact-surface in the neck thereof, and a sealingseat below said shoulder, of a sealing member, a securing member adapted to bear upon the sealing member, said securingmember being bent to form engaging arms having overlapping terminals with openings therein,

a locking device formed with a depending portion passing through the openings in the terminals, said locking device being adapted to have a toggle action on the terminals, to lock and unlock the seal, substantially as described.

8. In a bottle or jar seal, the combination with a bottle or jar having in the neck thereof a shoulder or contact-surface, and a sealingseat below said shoulder, of a sealing member, a securing member with spring arms having engaging shoulders and overlapping terminals having openings therein, a locking device having a portion passing through said openings whereby the locking device and securing member are connected, said locking device being also formed with a portion adapt ed to cover the top of the receptacle.

9. In a bottle or jar seal, the combination with a bottle or jar formed with an annular shoulder on the outside of the neck thereof, a shoulder or contact-surface in the inside of the neck and a shoulder or sealing-seat below said shoulder or contact-surface, a sealing member, a securing member formed with engaging arms having terminals, a locking device adapted to have a toggle action upon the terminals whereby the securing member is forced into engagement with the upper shoulder and retracted therefrom in the sealing and unsealing operations, said locking device being also formed with a portion adapted to cover the top of the receptacle and having a flange adapted to engage the annular shoulder on the outside of the bottle, substantially as described.

10. A bottle-seal comprisihga sealing member, a securing member bent to form engaging arms having substantially horizontal terminals, and a locking device adapted to act upon the terminals for locking and unlocking purposes, substantially as described.

11. Abottle-seal comprisingasealing member, a securing member bent to form arms having terminals, and a locking device adapted to have a toggle action upon the terminals to lock and unlock the seal, substantially as described.

12. Abottle-seal comprising asealingmember, a securing member having spring-arms formed with engaging shoulders and bent to form terminals, a locking device adapted to have a toggle action upon the terminals to lock and unlock the seal, substantially as described.

13. A bottle-seal comprising a sealing mem-' ber, a securing member formed of spring metal and having a portion to bear upon the sealing member and bent to form engaging shoulders and terminals, and a'locking device adapted to have a toggle action upon the terminals for locking and unlocking purposes, substantially as described.

14. A bottle-seal comprising a sealing member, a spring-metal securing member bent to form engaging shoulders and terminals, a

ICC

locking device adapted to have a toggle ac member formed With a circular bearing portion and spring-arms having engaging shoulders, said arms being also bent to form ter- Ininals, a sealing member carried by the securing member, and a locking device adapted to have a toggle action upon the terminals to expand or contract the arms for locking or unlocking purposes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix'my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD D. SOHMITT.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. HEWES, MARK A. ELLIOTT. 

